Automatic railway-switch.



A J. JABALQUINTO. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

0 1 9 1 2 g .H A d m n m a P 9 0 9 1 5 l 1 O O D E T.- T. F N O I T A 0I L P P A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES THE NORRIS Psrsns cm, WASHINGTON. n. c,

A. J. IABALQUINTO AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 15, 1909.

966,212. Patented Aug. 2, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W ATTORNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS ca, WASHINGTON, n. c.

ARTURO JOSE JABALQUINT-O, OF SANTIAGO, CHILE.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug..2, 1910.

Application filed October 15, I969; Serial No. 522,770.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTURO J osii JABAL- QUINTO, a citizen of theRepublic of Chile, and a resident of Santiago, Chile, have invented anew and Improved Automatic Railway-Switch, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are;to provide a mechanism whereby a railway switch is operated by animplement mounted upon the body of the car; to provide a mechanismwherein the operative parts are protected against damage by accidentalinsertion of deleterious matters; to provide a mechanism in which theoperating power is materially increased by a system of levers and camsurfaces; to provide suitable protecting devices whereby the fixedstructures are protected from damage by passing vehicles; to provide anoperating device which is removably supported .in the car structure andadapted to be shifted therein; and to provide a mechanism which isefficient and durable. 1

One embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in; the structureillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters ofreference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in whichFigure 1 is a plan view of the switch station constructed and arrangedin conformity with this invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view, the coverof the supporting casing being removed to expose the contained operatingmechanism; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line 33 in Fig. 2,showing the important connections between the operating mechanism andthe pivoted rail of the switch; Fig, 4 is a vertical section on the line44 in Fig. 2 of the moving and stationary elements of the switchoperating mechanism; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the car dash-board,showing the means for attaching the switch operating mechanism; Fig. 6is a front elevation of the switch operating mechanism, being shown inposition uponthe car dash-board, and showing the casing for the saidmechanism thrown open; Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the switchoperating mechanism; Fig. 8 is a cross section of the switch operatingmechanism, taken on the line 8-8 in Fig. 4; and Fig. 9 is a detail viewof the rear face of the cam drum for throwing the switch.

The application of the present invention most desired is that in whichit is employed in connection with electric urban railways. Wherever theswitch arm 10 is employed in a railway system there is located on theapproach side of the said arm a lever 11. The lever 11 is pivoted at 12on a suitable vertical standard 13, to. which it is connected againstdisadjustment by a nut 14. The forward end of the lever 11 isbifurcated, as shown at 15, to receive a hook arm 16 extended laterallyfrom a plate 17. The plate 17 is a depended from the switch arm 10,

being fixedly secured thereto by any suitable "fastening device, such asscrews 18. The plate 17 is extended below the flange 19 of the trackrail 20, and also below the metal plate covering 21, the upper edge ofwhich is flush with the road bed. The plate 21 rests upon and is securedto ties 22, 22, which likewise support the track 20. The outer end of,the hook arm 16 is depended to extend between the arms of the bifurcatedend 15 of the lever 11. The plate 21 is ample to cover the chamberformed by the walls 28, which constitute a box-like structure for thelever 11 and the mechanism for operating the same. In the drawings theplate is shown in ampler dimensions, being rectangular in shape.

The lever 11, and with it the switch arm 10, are operated in oppositedirections by a spring 24 on the one side, and a cam drum 25 on theopposite side. The spring 24 is anchored upon. the track upon the road24*, whereby the spring normally exerts a strain upon the bifurcated endof the lever, tend- .in'gto throw the switch arm 10 against the main, orstraight line track 26. It is permitted to do so whenever the cam drum25 is rotated to present to a roller 27 mounted on the end of the lever11, one of the two oppositely disposed depressions 28 in the camsurfaces of the said drum 25. Whenever the cam heads 29 are presented tothe roller 27 the lever 11'is rotated about the pivot 12 to retract thebifurcated. end 15 to place the switch arm 10 in the position shown infull lines in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The mechanism for operating the lever 11 is most clearly shown in Figs.2 and 4 of the drawings. It consists principally in a main shaft 30,which is suitably mounted in bearings formed in a casing 23 and in astandard 31. The shaft 30 is extended transversely to the road bed, andhas fixedly mounted thereon a hub 32, from which are radially extendedfour arms 33, 33. The arms 33, 33 are of sufficient length to extendabove the road bed and to be impinged upon and moved by a memberdepending from the moving car structure, as will hereinafter be morefully set forth and explained. Likewise fixedly mounted upon the shaft30 is the cam drum 25. This drum is constructed either solidly or in ahollow form. On the one side of the said drum is provided a track likesurface having depressions 28, 2S and cam heads 29, 29 constructed andarranged to reciprocate the lever 11 in conjunction with the spring 24.The rear surface of the drum is provided with four oppositely andradially disposed grooves 34, 34 (see Fig. 9). In these grooves thereplays a detent 35, the head 36 whereof is suitably formed to drop intothe said grooves and to maintain the desired position of the arms 33,33, and to prevent the vibration of the road causing the roller 27 towander on the cam heads 29, 29.

The outer mechanism for reciprocating the lever 11 is maintained at alevel below the plate 21, which, as stated, is the same level as theroad bed. A single exception exists, however, in that the arms 33, 33,in rotating, pass above the upper surface of the plate 21 to extend intothe path of the tripping mechanism carried by the moving car. It is toprotect these arms 33, 33, and at the same time cover the mechanismabove de scribed, that a dome shaped cover 37 is secured to the plate bymeans of suitable fastenings, such as screws 38, 38. The dome of thecover 37 is suflicient to permit the arms 33, 33 to rotate about theshaft without impinging upon the said cover or a slide 39, which isprovided to cover a slot formed in the dome shaped cover 37. The slot 40is of sutficient width to permit the passage lengthwise of the saidgroove, of the tripping mechanism carried by the car. The slide 39 isprovided with a rounded or beveled forward edge 41, by which the saidslide is moved backward to uncover the slot 40 when struck by the tripabove mentioned. The slide 39 is maintained in the position shown inFig. 1 of the drawings, covering the said slot, by any suitable means,such as a weighted arm or a spring adapted to throw the cover intoposition and to yield against the lateral thrust of the said trippingmechanism when the same is operated to so move the said slide.

The mechanism above referred to as the tripping mechanism is illustratedin Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive, of the drawings. The dashboard is providedwith a plate 42 fixedly attached thereto. Mounted upon said plate areretaining hooks 43, 43, the heads of which are projected from the saidplate 42 to form studs adapted to extend within eyelets 44, 44 formed inthe back 45 of the casing for holding the tripping mechanism. The plate42 is also provided with a recess 46 extended horizontally from theouter edge of the same. This recess is designed to receive a pin 47mounted on the end of a lever 43, which is pivotally mounted at 49 uponthe rear side of the back 45, and whereby the plate is held from risingsufliciently to carry the heads of the studs out of the eyelets 44, 44when in operation the lever 48 is maintained in operative position so asto retain the pin 47 in the recess 46, by a leaf spring 50. Fixedlymounted at 51, 51 upon the back 45 is a half tubular cover 52. Mountedupon the front side of the back 45 and formed to correspond to the innershape of the said cover 52, are brackets 53, 53. At the lower end of theback 45 there are extended brackets 54, 54, between which is extended abody 55, integrally formed with the said brackets 54, 54 and adapted tohave formed therein a rectangular slot to receive a rectangular section56 of the trip plunger and to form a guide for the same. The up perbrackets 53, 53 are provided with circular perforations to pass and forma guide for a cylindrical rod section 57 of the said trip plunger. lVhen mounting the trip plunger 56, 57 on the back 45, it is passed fromthe lower end upward, extending the rod section 57 through the body andupward through the intermediate bracket 53. As it is passed from theintermediate bracket 53 to the upper bracket 53, it is threaded througha spiral spring 58, and then through a collar 59, and thence through theupper bracket 53. The collar 59 is fixedly attached to the rod section57, causing the spring 58 to lift the plunger 56, 57 until the saidcollar is forced against the under side of the upper bracket 53. henthus placed in position the rod section is provided with a hand pad 60.The lower end of the rectangular section 56 is contracted sufficientlyto permit the same to be readily extended through the slot 40 of thecover 37. It is provided with a notch 61, into which plays a detent 62,which is pivotally mounted at 63 on the body 55 of the casing. Thedetent 62 is thrown forward into locking position by a leaf spring 64,which is fixedly secured at 65 upon the back 45. The operation of thetrip mechanism thus described is as follows: The car is provided withthe plate 42. The trip mechanism contained within the back 45 and cover52 is lifted into position until the heads of the studs 43, 43

are protruded through and seated in the narrow extensions of the eyelets44, 44, the cover 52 having been opened and the lever 48 moved by thehandle 66 to carry the pin 47 outward until the studs 43, 43 have beenfirmly seated in the elongated eyelets 44. In this position it will befound that the pin 47 alines with the recess 46. hen the handle 66 isnow released, the spring 50 throws the lever 48 about the pivot 49 toextend the said pin 47 into the recess 46 and retain it in suchposition. The mechanism is now in position to be operated. Onapproaching the switch station the motorman, by means of the pad 60,presses the trip plunger 56, 57 until the detent 62 rests within thenotch 61 to hold the said plunger in its lowered position, as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings. In this position the spiralspring 58 has been compressed and is maintained under tension. The lowerend of the rectangular section 56 is held in position so that it willpass into and through the slot 40, striking one of the arms 33 to carrythe same until the shaft 30 has been rotated one quarter revolution, inwhich position the plunger leaves the arm 33, and 111 which position theshaft 30 is maintained by the spring 35 striking into one of the grooves34, 34 in the back of the cam drum 25. The plunger passes out of thecover 37. Upon entering the slot 40 the plunger strikes the grooved edge41 of the slide 39 and forces the said slide to one side. The slide 39is retracted against a suitable spring or gravity pressure, and the headof the detent 62 is formed slightly larger in dimension to the plunger56, 57 so that the detent rubs against the side of the said slide andthe side of the slot. This rubbing action of the slide and side of theslot upon the detent is suflicient to raise the said detent out ofengagement with the notch 61, permitting the spring 58 to raise theplunger 56, 57. This release occurs as the plunger passes out of theslot by reason of the fact that the pressure on the slide 39 is greatestat this point. If it be desired that this action shall be more positive,any convenient and suitable tripping device, such as a projection, onthis slide or side of the slot, might be provided to positively trip thedetent 62 to withdraw the same from engagement with the plunger 56, 57.

The end of the lever 11 which carries the rollers 27 is supported upon awheel 67, which is mounted upon a bracketed plate 68. By means of thismounting any tendency to bind on the pivotal mounting of the lever iscorrected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automatic railway switch, comprising a switch operating mechanismpermanently located on the track in advance of the switch thereof,embodying a lever suitably connected with the movable rails and extendedhorizontally under the trackbed, a drum cam mounted horizontally andhaving a series of cam heads and depressions adapted to move in the pathof the end of said lever, a yielding contact power exerting member tomaintain said lever in contact with said cam, and a series of radiallyextended arms extending to said cam; a trip mechanism removably mountedon the moving cars and adapted to rotate said cams to operate saidlevers; a covering casing for said switch operating mechanism having aslot extended parallel with the track for the passage of szllid tripmechanism; and a cover for said s 0t.

2. An automatic railway switch, comprising a switch operating mechanismpermanently located on the track in advance of the switch thereof,embodying a lever suitably connected with the movable rails and extendedhorizontally under the track bed, a drum cam mounted horizontally andhaving a series of cam heads and depressions adapted to move in the pathof the end of said lever, a yielding contact power exerting member tomaintain said lever in contact with said cam, and a series of radiallyex tended arms extending to said cam; a trip mechanism removably mountedon the moving cars and adapted to rotate said cams to operate saidlevers; a covering casing for said switch operating mechanism having aslot parallel with the track for the passage of said trip mechanism, anda cover for said slot having an inclined top to receive the impact ofsaid trip mechanism to move the said cover out of the path of said tripmechanism.

3. An automatic railway switch embodying a rotary shaft extendedtransversely across the road bed and operatively connected with themovable member of a switch to open and close the same by the rotation ofsaid shaft, comprising a wheel having radially extended arms adapted toreach above the surface of the ground; a dome shaped cover for saidwheel shaped to the path of said arms; and a slot in said cover extendedparallel with the said road bed and adapted to expose the said arms tothe action of a member depended from the car moving over said bed.

4. An automatic railway switch embodying a rotary shaft extendedtransversely across the road bed and operatively connected with themovable member of a switch to open and close the same by the rotation ofsaid shaft, comprising a wheel having radially extended arms adapted toreach above the surface of the ground; a dome shaped cover for saidwheel shaped to the path of said arm; a slot in said cover ex tendedparallel With the said road bed and In testimony whereof I have signedmy adapted to expose the said arms to the 210- name to thisspecification in the presence of tion of a member depended from the cartwo subscribing Witnesses.

moving over said bedand a cover for said ART R JO E JABAL slot adaptedto be deflected by said member 71 2; 0 S QU l O depended from said carto expose the said 1 MURILLO P,

Slot FRANCISCO J. VALENGUELO.

